because she was nothing like the women he usually dated. She wasn’t sophisticated, fashionable or glamorous. But there really was something about her that made him—well, just want her.
Though, right now, he knew he couldn’t think about dating anyone. His life was too complicated. He pulled himself together. ‘It’s always good to make a new friend. Especially one as kind as you.’
She blushed even more, and Tom couldn’t help smiling. Flora was so sweet. And there was a vulnerability about her that made him feel protective. Strong.
‘And it’s really all right for you to help me with Joey?’
‘I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.’
Tom closed his eyes for a moment. It seemed as if his prayers had all been answered. ‘Flora, thank you. I have no idea what I would’ve done if you hadn’t offered to help.’
Looking embarrassed, she glanced away. ‘It’s not a big deal. Joey’s a nice little boy. But he might not want to come here.’
Tom smiled. ‘Considering that he was up before I was, this morning—and I always wake at six—and he’d got himself dressed, with odd socks and his shirt on back to front, ready to come and see you and play with Banjo… I think he’s going to say yes. But you’re right—we do need to ask him first.’ He looked over to where his nephew was busy making a fuss of Banjo, rubbing the dog’s tummy while the spaniel had his eyes closed in bliss.
‘Joey—can you come here a moment, sweetheart, please?’
Joey eyed the dog, clearly torn between making a fuss of him and doing what his uncle had asked, but eventually trotted over.
‘How would you feel about Flora picking you up from after-school club in future?’ Tom asked.
Joey frowned. ‘Carol picks me up from school.’
‘I know, but Carol has to go to live in London very soon,’ Tom said gently. ‘It’s a big change for you, I know, but I’ve been trying to find someone you’d like to stay with while I’m at work.’
Joey’s hazel eyes turned thoughtful. ‘Would Banjo come, too?’
‘Banjo’s normally here during the day,’ Flora said. ‘But he’d be here to meet you when we got back from school. You could help me take him for a walk. Would you like that?’
Joey considered it, then nodded shyly.
‘And then I’ll come and fetch you as soon as I’ve finished work,’ Tom said.
‘Can I play with Banjo again now?’
Tom smiled. ‘Sure.’
Joey raced back to the dog and found the squeaky bone.
‘When do you want me to start picking him up?’ Flora asked.
Tom thought about it. ‘Carol’s right in the middle of packing everything now. It’s pretty disruptive for Joey, and I’m trying to keep things as calm as I can.’ Calm and relaxed, like it was here at the farmhouse, Tom thought. Everything was neat and tidy, though it wasn’t the kind of house where you’d be scared to move a cushion out of place. It was more that everything felt right just where it was, warm and welcoming and organised and comfortable. Just what Joey needed.
As for what Tom himself needed…he wasn’t going to examine that too closely.
‘I’ve got a day off on Monday. I don’t have anything planned, so I could start then, if you like?’ Flora suggested.
‘Actually, I’m off myself on Monday and Tuesday—I work four days on and then four days off,’ he said. ‘But if you can do Wednesday to Friday this week, that’d be brilliant.’
‘What time does your shift start?’
‘I work seven until seven.’
‘So what happens in the mornings,’ she asked, ‘if you have to be at work at seven and school doesn’t start until a quarter to nine?’
‘I’m still working on that,’ Tom admitted. ‘I’ve been dropping him at Carol’s at half past six.’
She shrugged. ‘Well—I don’t start work until nine, so you can do that with me, too. I’ll have plenty of time to take him to school on the days you’re at work.’
Tom stared at her. ‘Really?’ Usually, if something was too good to be true, it usually was. It couldn’t be possible to sort out his hours and Joey’s so easily—could it? ‘Half past six is really OK with you? ‘
She smiled. ‘I’m used to being up with the chickens, even though I don’t have to feed them myself any more. And it’ll be nice to have breakfast with someone in the mornings.’
She was so calm about it, so serene. Did she know what an angel she was? Tom wanted to hug her, but he had a feeling that she’d find it as awkward as Joey did. Something told him that Flora wasn’t used to people hugging her. Except maybe some of her younger patients—he’d already noticed that she had children’s drawings stuck to the door of her fridge with magnets.
‘I’ll need your contact numbers. And you’ll also need to tell the school,’ Flora added.
‘Sure. If you have a piece of paper and a pen, I’ll write my numbers down for you.’
Flora handed him her mobile phone. ‘Better still, you could put them straight in there.’
Her fingers brushed against his and a wave of awareness swept down his spine. Not that he’d dare act on that awareness. Apart from the fact that she was shy—with him, not with Joey—if he messed this up, he’d lose a friend as well as help that he badly needed right now. He needed to keep a lid on this. Trying not to think about how soft her skin was and wondering how it would feel against his mouth, he keyed in his home number, his mobile and the number of the fire station. ‘I’ve already got your numbers. I assume if I need to get you at work I should ring the surgery?’
‘Yes, or try my mobile—I don’t answer if I’m driving, though, so it’ll go through to voicemail,’ she warned.
‘Good—that’s sensible. I’ve had to cut too many people out of cars when they’ve been trying to talk on the phone and drive at the same time. Why they couldn’t just pull over and make the call safely, or use a headset…’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Sorry. Preaching to the converted. And, as a medic, you know all that already.’
Flora smiled. ‘Yes.’
She went quiet and shy on him again once they’d finished with the practicalities, but Tom was aware that he was eking out his coffee, putting off the moment when he’d have to leave here. Scared of being on his own with his nephew and failing to connect with him yet again? Or something else? He didn’t want to analyse that too closely. And this really wasn’t fair to Flora, taking up her day. ‘Come on, Joey. Remember we said we’d go and play football in the park?’
‘Can Banjo come?’ Joey asked.
‘No, Flora has things to do,’ Tom said, before Joey could suggest taking up even more of Flora’s time.
‘Can we come back tomorrow?’
Tom was searching for an excuse when Flora said, ‘I don’t mind. I don’t have anything much planned.’
‘Tell you what, maybe Joey and I can take you out to lunch.’ The words were out before he could stop them and he could see the surprise on her face—and the wariness. Help. He needed to take this down a notch. Make it clear that he was inviting her out with both of them, not on a proper date.
Though he was horribly aware that he’d like to have lunch with Flora on her own and get to know her better—a lot better.
‘I mean, you fed us on Friday so it’s our turn to feed you—right, Jojo?’
Joey nodded.